


Detroit:  Become Merry

by WayWardWonderer



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anger, Cheer, Christmas, Confusion, Emotional, Empathy, Family, Friendship, Gen, Growth, Healing, Holiday, Hope, Kindess, Love, Magic, Please be kind to one another, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Sacrifice, Sadness, Sorrow, Struggle, Understanding, Whump, celebrate, charity - Freeform, don't give up, donations, faith - Freeform, generosity, joy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28022970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: Christmastime in Detroit becomes tense when an unusual dilemma arises.  Connor tries to remedy the situation but Hank is less than cheerful, which makes his personal mission all the more difficult to overcome.  When all hope seems lost an unlikely source of joy is found and the city manages to have a cheery holiday after all.
Relationships: Father and Son - Relationship
Comments: 25
Kudos: 34





	Detroit:  Become Merry

As Christmas Day loomed over the city everyone prepared for the exciting holiday in their own unique way. The precinct was handling the holidays by holding weekly charity events to have food, clothes and toys donated to those in need, and each officer had their own special assignment to handle during the hectic final days leading up to the big finale. While Ben and Chris took care of the food drive and delivered the donations to the various soup kitchens and homeless shelters throughout the city, Gavin and Tina took care of the donated clothing, which left the donated toys in the capable hands of Hank and Connor.

After delivering the donated toys to the various shelters and hospitals throughout their jurisdiction Hank felt his heart beginning to ache for the Christmases from his past before he lost his family to pointless tragedy. Connor noticed his partner's distress and proceeded to drive the Oldsmobile back to the precinct at a steady pace so Hank could be alone with his quiet thoughts for a while.

Admiring the bright lights and garland lining the windows and doorways of the buildings along the street Connor contemplated possibly decorating the house in an attempt to take part in the festivities. Not wanting to overstep his bounds and accidentally make things more tense for Hank the deviant decided to back off and let Hank make the first move before he even tried to do anything.

"Fuckin' snow..." Hank mumbled as the fresh snow began to fall and cover the dark city under a constrastingly bright layer of white. "It's cold, it's wet, it gets in the way, makes things slippery... I hate it."

Connor knew the real reason why Hank hated the snow and ice, but he didn't push it. "I'll be sure to shovel the driveway and front walk before the snow piles up too high."

"No, don't bother. It'll just be back in a couple of hours."

"It can't hurt to get a headstart on it." Not wanting to let Hank continue to speak negatively Connor casually directed the conversation elsewhere. "I can admire the lights while I'm outside."

"The lights are fuckin' stupid." Snipping at the innocent remark Hank continued to stew in his own anger and bitterness. "Just a waste of electricity and a damn fire hazard."

"...At least they're attractive to look at."

"Sure, and when they set the damn house on fire then you're in for a real treat!"

"But isn't normal to put up decorations to celebrate the holidays?"

"Celebrate? No one _celebrates_ Christmas anymore, they just use it as a means to fuel the economy and rip people off by enticing them with stupid shit they don't need because they put a fancy price tag on it or they put a cute little bow on top. The whole damn thing lost all of its meaning and now only the fools think it matters anymore."

"Didn't you enjoy it as a kid?"

"Sure, all kids love Christmas. They get free shit that they'll never appreciate and don't care how expensive it is."

"...Does that include you?"

"I don't know! That was too damn long ago. All I remember about Christmas as a kid was getting a new board game every year and playing them with my parents all evening long. Doesn't matter anymore. The games are lost."

"Must've been nice to have. I personally would like something to pleasant to associate with Christmas. Maybe a warm blanket to keep the cold at bay."

"Well, just hang up a bunch of lights, set the house on fire and you'll be plenty warm until the fire department shows up..."

Pulling the car into the precinct's parking garage Connor barely had the chance to put the car into park before Hank unfastened his seatbelt, threw open his door and stormed off toward the precinct to get out of the cold. Making a mental note to be very wary of everything he said and did in the near future Connor decided to handle Hank in a more delicate manner and not speak unless spoken to.

It didn't take Connor long to relocate his partner inside the precinct as Hank quickly disappeared into the breakroom to get some hot coffee and put in far too much sweetener for his own good. Before he had the chance to check on Hank in a discreet manner Connor noticed Captain Fowler waving him over through the transparent wall of his personal office.

Walking over to the office Connor opened the door and closed it behind him before sitting down in the chair across from his commanding officer's desk. "Yes, sir?"

"How'd the toy delivery go?"

"It went well." Connor replied honestly as he noted the positive atmosphere he and Hank had walked into upon delivery. "No issues with the donations, locating the appropriate shelters or addressing any of the volunteers who assisted in passing out the toys. The children were very excited and I know that being around the kids made Hank happy for a brief moment. According to the volunteers the children have been worried about their Christmas since the city is still tense, but we reassured them that the children will be taken care of."

"Good, that's good. Think you can do it again the night of Christmas Eve? The toys need to be delivered the shelters starting at eight o'clock, and I know you two won the lottery and have Christmas Eve off this year."

"If it's necessary, yes." The prospect of an additional delivery didn't dissuade Connor in the slightest. "But Christmas Eve isn't for another six days."

"I know that, but we're getting a lot of toys being donated this year since the local malls don't have anyone volunteering to be Santa. I guess some of the adults in the city feel guilty and are over compensating."

"...Volunteering to be Santa?" As his L.E.D. cycled from blue to yellow for a moment Connor downloaded information on the subject of malls and Santa Claus, and the deviant finally understood the comment. "Oh, I see. May I ask why there will be no Santa Claus this year?"

"Turns out there's a Santa Claus union that's protesting coming to Detroit because of the android Revolution last year. They apparently don't agree with the way the local department stores are hiring deviants and paying them a livable wage since it could potentially harm their personal bonuses and other selfish bullshit reasons. They won't negotiate either."

"It seems like those who are truly going to be affected by such a protest are the children."

"Yeah, you got it." Captain Fowler sounded less like a detective and more like a disappointed parent. "And no one wants to even try to play the part because they're actually paranoid about getting flack from doing the right thing. It's hard to get people to be selfless, even during the holidays."

Curious about the yearly tradition Connor's brow arched a little. "What if an android took up the role of Santa Claus this year?"

"Yeah, go figure a lot of parents aren't too thrilled with the idea of a _deviant_ Santa Claus chatting with their kids. Things are still too damn tense."

"...I see."

"Don't worry about it. Just make sure you can deliver all the extra donated toys before Christmas Day and everything will fine."

"Yes, sir. We will do so."

"Good." Glancing at Hank through the transparent wall for a moment Captain Fowler motioned toward the Lieutenant without being too obvious. "How's Hank?"

The question wasn't expected. "...Sir?"

"You know what happened to his son." The response was clear and succinct as Captain Fowler tested the waters. "The holidays are brutal on him. How's he holding up right now?"

"He's... He's clearly agitated by the cold weather."

"No surprise there. Think he'll be okay to keep up with the toy drive?"

"Yes, without a doubt." Replying so confidently Connor gave his commanding officer an almost perplexed stare at the question. "Hank was in a very good mood when he was talking with the children at the shelters and even the hospitals." The memories of being able to make children happy were very vivid and Connor knew they were important. "His demeanor only became negative when it began to snow."

"Well then, that's progress."

Curious about Hank's previous behavior during the holidays Connor dared to ask about it. "Has Hank had issues with being around children in the past?"

"Yeah, for a while. It hurt him too much to think about Cole that it really left him depressed."

"Oh, I see."

"Keep an eye on him, Connor. You're the first family he's had in a long time, he trusts you."

"Don't worry, Captain. I won't let him down."

"Wouldn't doubt it for a moment. Dismissed."

Rising from the chair Connor exited the office and returned to his desk just as Hank returned with his criminally sweetened coffee in his hand. As he sat down the deviant gave Hank a studious glance before working on his report without saying a word about the sugar in Hank's coffee.

"What did Fowler want?" Sipping at his coffee Hank slumped down in his chair as if being crushed by an unseen weight. "Don't tell me he wants us to pull a double-shift again."

"No, he was just wanting confirmation as to whether or not we'd be willing to do one final toy delivery on Christmas Eve."

Almost insulted by the question Hank crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled under his breath. "What kind of heartless bastard would say 'no' to kids in need?"

"I do not know."

"Good! Yeah, we'll handle it..."

Noting the snow building up outside Connor knew he needed a way to distract Hank from the cold for a moment through another topic of discussion. "Apparently this year is especially generous with donations due to a 'Santa Claus' strike."

Scoffing at the idea Hank sighed and looked entirely disappointed. "Yeah, those fuckers are more worried about their own fat asses and pride than actually helping the kids they claim to be all about protecting. I saw that on the news and thought it was a sick joke..."

"It's unfortunate that there isn't anything we can do beyond toy donations." Doing additional research into Santa Claus and the legend about him Connor had an interesting idea pop into his head. "Hank, the usual volunteers won't come to Detroit because of the android Revolution, but that doesn't mean a new volunteer can't be found."

"Yeah, you're right. But I doubt anyone would step up to fill such a role while we're already so close to Christmas Day."

"Many androids have been programmed with childcare in mind, perhaps we can find a deviant volunteer at New Jericho Tower to fill the void so to speak."

"No dice, kid. If androids are keeping Santa out of town, there's no way people will accept androids AS Santa. It sucks but it's true."

Undeterred by the idea Connor wasn't going to give up so easily. "What about me?"

"Son, that's a nice gesture, but what makes you think you can get away with it?"

"As a detective I would be able to-"

"Nope. The same people who refuse to acknowledge androids as equals are already defying the law, there's no way in hell that anyone would respect anyone as a cop. You being an android AND a cop is just asking for a fight."

"I'd take that chance to he-"

"Let it go!"

Looking dejected at the concept of being unable to help anyone Connor slumped down in his seat heavily. "...Okay."

"Not your fault, kid." Softening his tone after snapping Hank tried to help Connor understand the bigger picture. "Your heart's in the right place, you're just not living in the right time to get away with such a kind and generous act."

Remaining silent Connor cybernetically calculated all of the children in Detroit and noted that over half of the kids were in the right age group to still believe in Santa Claus. So many would undoubtedly want to see him before Christmas. Knowing he wouldn't be able to help them through a simple act of playing a role and giving them a sense of hope or magic had a surprisingly heavy impact on the deviant's heart.

"Connor, look at me." Hank could see the genuine sorrow in Connor's soulful brown eyes and it made his own heart begin to hurt. "Hey! Look at me."

Lifting his gaze Connor managed to look Hank in the eyes as he remained quiet.

"There's really nothing more you can do. This is beyond your control."

"...That doesn't make it any easier to accept."

* * *

More and more toys were being donated through various charities throughout the entire city, and with each toy added to the generous pile the resentment toward selfish adults ruining the imaginations and wonder of innocent children began to grow. As the days ticked by leading up to Christmas Eve - the day now December 23rd, and the final big delivery of the toys, Connor tried to think of a way to help the children in the city without doing anything reckless in the process. Shoveling the driveway and front walk despite Hank's insistence that it was a waste of time Connor looked out at the neighbor's houses as they glowed with warm lights and watched the neighborhood kids all playing out in the snow.

Laughter and happy voices filled the entire neighborhood as the innocent kids continued to play and look forward to Christmas Day. Knowing that they'd have to miss out on meeting Santa and hoping for a normal holiday continued to plague Connor's every waking thought.

"It's not fair."

Tossing aside the last scoop of snow to the side of the driveway Connor sighed and carried the snow shovel back into the garage to be stored until it snowed again. He was bundled up in a black hoodie, under a brown leather jacket and his black woolen beanie to keep warm as he worked.

"The children shouldn't have to be punished because the adults cannot reach some form of agreement regarding human and android rights."

With the shovel stored inside the garage Connor looked out toward the snowy city a few blocks away and contemplated recruiting androids to try to help out the children in need. Knowing that Hank wouldn't approve of the idea and try to dissuade him from doing anything beyond his assignments at the precinct Connor hailed an autonomous taxi and went into the city to try to form a plan.

"Just as it was unfair to punish deviants for the mistakes of humans," he thought out loud as he climbed into the back of the autonomous cab that arrived at the house. "it's unfair to punish children for the mistakes of adults. I have to at least try to do something to make things better."

* * *

Inside the house Hank had noticed that Connor took off into the city via taxi and already knew that he was going to keep trying to help out the children despite being told to let the matter drop. Walking away from the front window in the livingroom as the autonomous cab walked away Hank put his hands to his hips and walked into the kitchen to grab a beer from the refrigerator. Pulling the glass bottle from the refrigerator Hank quickly twisted off the metal cap and quickly downed the beer as he could feel his own bitterness and anger welling up again.

Slamming the empty glass bottle into the recycling bin under the kitchen sink Hank didn't even flinch when the glass shattered, or when Sumo barked once in response to the damaging sound. Returning to the livingroom Hank dropped down on the couch and let out an annoyed huff as he thought about Connor disobeying his simple request.

"Fucking deviants... Can't follow basic instructions."

Kicking his feet up onto the coffee table, his feet nearly knocking the family photo album onto the floor, Hank crossed his arms over his chest and watched the news on television regarding the impending holidays.

"How hard is it to let shit go?"

Sumo whimpered once from his pillow in the corner of the livingroom as the loyal dog picked up on the tense emotions filling the air.

"You can't make a whole group of people man-the-fuck-up and accept that some things aren't all about them, why waste your breath and energy?"

Unable to speak Sumo just watched Hank from his pillow without moving a muscle.

"All we can do is deliver the damn toys and call it a night. Nothing more, nothing less."

Seeing the city covered in lights and decorations on the news was enough to make Hank want another beer.

"Nothing's going to change. Humans are still going to be selfish, greedy pieces of shit and it's always going to be the next generation trying to clean up the messes left behind by their parents while making new messes that their own kids will have to deal with. There's no point to any of this anymore."

* * *

Exhausting his every resource and connection Connor visited every mall and department store in all of Detroit pleading with the people in charge to let someone fill the role of Santa for at least one day to make the children happy. Being turned away for a myriad of reasons, all of which were equally lazy and selfish excuses, Connor reluctantly accepted the fact that no one was going to run the risk of getting threatened by a selfish union just to make some kids happy for a few hours.

Disappointed but not deterred Connor decided that if the humans wouldn't help out then maybe the deviants would. Checking in at the various deviant shelters and other places designated as safe places for deviants and humans alike, Connor pleaded his request and tried to get someone, anyone, to help him bring a modicum of joy to the otherwise joyless city.

Striking out yet again as each shelter agreed that letting humans swarm a shelter would just be asking for problems Connor hung his head low and began walking the snowy dark streets as he tried to think of some way to make things happens. Strolling down the sidewalk toward the heart of the city Connor glanced about the area, admiring the decorations and stood outside of a department store to peer inside the window curiously.

The store was full of busy shoppers who were frantically trying to grab last minute gifts, toys, clothes, jewelry, candy and coats. Massive lines of shoppers encircled the store leading up the registers to pay and leave. The shoppers were dominantly adults while there were a few kids inside looking bored, overwhelmed or frustrated.

"Children shouldn't have to lose out on something fun because their parents are too stubborn for their own good."

Remembering how the children at the shelters and hospitals were thrilled to be given a gift, smiled, laughed and thanked everyone for their kindness gave Connor a determination to try to keep that joy alive. The first time he delivered the toys with Hank at the shelters Connor had been given curious looks from the kids as they honed in on his L.E.D., but soon after they didn't care that he was an android and wanted to talk to him or get him to play with their new toys. To not be judged at first glance or feared had been a rare occurrence for Connor, and seeing the way children just wanted to have fun and be acknowledged gave the deviant a sense of belonging as he too tried to navigate through the human world while surrounded by apathetic adults.

"Thousands of children are in the hospital, shelters and foster care system right now. So many children have been let down by their own parents and other adults they were supposed to be able to trust and count on."

Feeling a connection toward children who had been abandoned, neglected or flat-out forgotten thanks to his own deviancy and ostracization from both CyberLife and the deviant community, Connor swore he could feel an actual ache in his heart.

"It makes sense that so many children would have hope that an fictional character like Santa Claus would listen to them or make them happy."

Turning away from the window Connor continued down the snowy sidewalk with his arms crossed over his chest to stave off the cold. It was like he was assigned an impossible mission and the failure to carry out the mission was as painful as any other wound.

Passing through the shopping district with his thought preoccupied Connor was caught off guard and physically grabbed by his shirt, and thrown up against the brick wall of an alleyway by two very big and very strong men. Remaining calm even as one of the men threatened him with a switchblade Connor remained quiet and didn't react to the weapon.

"Wallet!" The man with the knife ordered as his partner in crime tore open Connor's coat and started rummaging through the pockets of his hoodie beneath. After failing to locate any wallet, phone or anything valuable on Connor's person the two muggers quickly became irate. "Are you fuckin' with me!? Where's your money?"

"...I don't carry physical cash."

Pushing Connor back up against the wall by pressing Connor backward, the mugger noticed that Connor's beanie had slid back and saw the yellow L.E.D. glowing in Connor's right temple. "Don't you-" The light might as well have been a target. "Fuckin' plastic!"

Unable to get any money out of Connor the duo decided their next best move would be to assault Connor to vent their frustrations. Using the switchblade to cut into Connor's right cheek below his eye the first mugger drew blood and the second mugger punched Connor directly in the stomach. Dropping to his knees Connor didn't even try to fight back as he knew it'd only make things worse.

Thinking quickly Connor cybernetically contacted 911 and an autonomous taxi to come to his rescue in the alleyway. Enduring the harsh punches and kicks to his person. Falling to his right side on the snowy ground Connor curled around himself and kept his hands and arms over his head as a means of protecting himself from serious harm.

"Plastic freaks!" The mugger with the knife spat as he stomped on Connor's left side. "Stealin' our jobs, trying to act like you belong! Get outta' the city! No wants you freaks here! It's YOUR fault shit's so fucked up!"

As the second mugger gave Connor a strong kick to his face the bright flashing lights of a patrol car filled the alleyway as patrol arrived just in time to see the assault in progress.

"Shit! Run!"

The two muggers rushed down the alleyway opposite of the patrol car just as Chris exited the vehicle and chased after them on foot.

"Hey!" Chris shouted as he radioed in the scene and requested back-up to help arrest the two men. "Stop! You're under arrest!"

Ben, who had been driving the patrol car, stooped down beside Connor to check on him and tend to his wounds. "Shit, son. Can you move?"

Nodding silently Connor let out a pained breath as he used his right arm to push himself upright and pressed his left palm over his now bloodied nose and bleeding lower lip. "...I'm okay."

"Man, they got you good." Reaching into his coat pocket Ben handed Connor a clean tissue to press to his face. "I'll take you to a facility to get patched up."

"...No, that won't be necessary."

"Are you sure? You're a mess!"

"I'm sure." Blinking a few times Connor cleared the pain induced tears from his eyes as he managed to get to his feet despite his legs shaking and his chest and abdomen aching. A red warning flashed over Connor's eyes indicating his fractured plastimetal frame along his left side and of his broken nose, but Connor didn't pay the warnings any mind. "...I'll just go back to the house and get cleaned up."

"Come on, Connor." Following Connor out of the alleyway and back to the street Ben tried to coax the deviant into seeing a technician. "That was a pretty nasty beat-down."

"I'll recover on my own." The autonomous taxi arrived and Connor walked over to the vehicle as the side door automatically slid open. "I'll also send my report of the assault to the precinct. Have a good night, Ben."

"Yeah," watching Connor climb into the cab Ben sighed and gave the beaten up deviant a somber glance. "you try to do the same."

* * *

Frustrated with the news showing nothing but festive cheer downtown Hank flipped through the channels one by one as he sipped at his second beer and tried to find something that wouldn't remind him of Christmastime. Settling on a highlight reel of the last season's football games Hank leaned forward on the couch and looked down at his phone as if awaiting a phone call or a text message from Connor to come through at any moment. The photo album hadn't been touched since he dug it out of storage at the beginning of the month.

The darkness outside and the increasingly cold weather made the gruff detective worry for his deviant partner as he knew all deviants hated the cold, but Connor hated it almost as much as he did. Just as he was about to send Connor a text asking him where he was the autonomous taxi pulled up in front of the house at long last. Dropping his phone down on the coffee table next to the album with disinterest Hank stood up from the couch and faced the door like he was a father ready to reprimand his own kid for breaking curfew.

From the other side of the door Connor opened it slowly and stepped inside with his head still hung low and actively avoiding eye contact with Hank as he returned to the house. Turning away from Hank as he closed and locked the door behind himself Connor didn't even flinch when Hank's deep voice called out to him angrily.

"Where the fuck were you all damn day?"

"...Out."

"Don't do that, don't give me flippant answers! I told you to let that stupid shit go, and I know you were out there..." Trailing off as Connor turned around to face him at last Hank immediately felt guilty for yelling at Connor the moment he saw the blue blood, bruises and broken gaze in Connor's eyes. "Holy shit... What the hell happened to you?!"

"...I was attacked after two muggers failed to get anything of monetary value from me."

"A-Are you all right?"

Without a word Connor shrugged off his coat, removed his shoes and his hat as if nothing had happened. After hanging up his coat, his hat and putting his shoes aside Connor quietly walked down the hallway and into the bathroom to clean himself up.

"Connor, look..." Mellowing out considerably Hank followed after Connor and joined him in the bathroom and hung in the opened doorway. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was just worried that you were doing something that would've just left you disappointed or gotten you into trouble."

Using a washcloth under the cool tap in the sink Connor very gingerly cleaned the blue blood from his face and used the icy cool compress to ease the pain as he put pressure on his nose to ensure it was properly aligned as he self healing program mended the damage. "...It's fine."

"No it's not. I shouldn't be taking out my anger on you."

"Don't worry about it." Cleaning up his wounds Connor stared at his bloodied and bruised face in the mirror over the sink for only a moment before he turned to look at Hank still standing in the opened doorway. "...You were right."

Stepping into the bathroom Hank tried to figure out what Connor was talking about. "I was right? What do you mean?"

"I should've let it go, I should've just accepted that nothing's going to change, I should accept that humans won't ever trust androids, and that the whole concept of the holidays are foolish."

The full weight of what he had said to Connor came crashing down on Hank's own heart. "Ah, son... I didn't mean to-"

"You were right, Hank. I should've just listened to you and kept quiet." Sitting down on the edge of the bathtub Connor sighed to himself and winced as his fractured frames shifted a little under the motion. "This wouldn't have happened if I had just stayed inside the house like you told me to do."

If Hank didn't feel like a major ass before, he did now. Picking up a second washcloth Hank knelt down in front of Connor and very gently cleaned up the residual blood under Connor's nose and lower lip without hurting him in the process. In that moment Hank had a flashback of when he had to clean up Cole's scraped knees, help pull out his first loose tooth and remind his son that no matter how times you got knocked down it was important to get back up again.

"Connor, I'm sorry."

Keeping his eyes downcast and focused on the linoleum floor at his feet while Hank finished cleaning up his battered, bloodied face, Connor didn't say a word.

"I've been a major jackass these past couple of days. You were just trying to do something nice for other people and I've been shitting on every attempt you've made."

"I failed, Hank. There really is nothing I can do."

"Not that I'm against you helping kids in need, but I gotta' know..." Pulling the washcloth back Hank checked over Connor's hands and arms, then lightly ran his palms down Connor's sides to check for further injuries. "Why are you so fixated on this?"

Closing his eyes, his right eye now bruised and slightly swollen, Connor told Hank the truth. "Because the children in Detroit have done nothing wrong and don't deserve to lose something as simple as wanting to believe in someone that'll give them hope."

"...What do you mean?"

"Hank, when we dropped off the toys at the hospital and the shelters we both saw how many children are without families, without homes, without anyone to rely on. There were children who were sick and suffering alone in the hospitals because their parents were either too busy to be with them, or didn't care enough to visit. And the kids in the shelters... They've never known what it's like to have a home or a loving family, and only know what it's like to live on the charity of others. They don't know what's going to happen to them from one day to the next, and all they have to call their own is hope, imagination and beliefs. For some children the only person they can rely on is a fictional being who comes around only once a year. What's worse is that yearly visit could be the only consistent thing happening in their lives, and now they don't have it."

Dropping his hands from Connor's sides Hank swore he felt like someone just stabbed him in the heart.

"Deviants were left without homes, we don't have families, and we survived by the charity of others. A lot of deviants fell on their belief of RA9 to bring them a sense of comfort and hope, just as the children believe in Santa Claus. I understand how those kids feel, I understand what it feels like to be cast out, forgotten and have nothing to call my own. Not even a home."

"Son," putting his hand on Connor's shoulder Hank did his best to not kick his own ass for being so blind to how important Christmastime was to Connor. "you DO have a home and you DO have a family. Connor, you're like a son to me. You'll always have a family with me."

Shaking his head a little Connor didn't accept Hank's words as fact. "No. I have a residence and I have a partner in the precinct. That's all."

"No! Connor, this is your home for as long as you want to be here, and I am your family! I admit that I've had my head lodged up my ass and have been completely oblivious to how the holidays were making you feel, but I promise you can count on me and trust me."

Falling silent again Connor didn't know what to say to the comment and just wanted that cold night to be over.

"Connor, please listen to me. I was wrong! You said you liked the lights and the decorations and I smashed that into nothing. This IS your home, if you want to put up lights and buy a tree then go for it! You celebrate Christmas however you want."

"That's okay." Standing up from the edge of the bathtub Connor made his way toward the doorway and opened the door to the guest room down the hallway to retire for the night. It was supposed to be his bedroom but he didn't quite feel like it was truly his anymore. "It's a foolish concept, a waste of money and a waste of time."

Feeling like the world's biggest asshole Hank stood up and turned to look at Connor as he opened up the bedroom door. "If it makes people happy it's NOT foolish. I mean it!"

"...I'm going to go into rest mode now. We have one last assignment tomorrow night and have to make the last deliveries before it's too late."

"Connor, wait a moment. We need to-"

"Goodnight, Hank."

The moment Connor's bedroom door clicked shut Hank clenched his hands into fists at his sides and stormed out of the bathroom to get to his phone in the livingroom. Sitting down on the couch he stared at his phone as if waiting for it to give him the answer to what he could possibly do to make things right with Connor, then slumped down against the furniture heavily.

"I really fucked shit up this year. Oh, man..."

Sumo whimpered again from his pillow as he continued to pick up on the heavy mood in the house.

Staring at the phone in his hand for a moment longer Hank's blue eyes drifted over to the photo album on the coffee table and his heart began to ache again.

"Wish I knew what to do for the poor kid."

Exchanging his phone for the photo album on the table Hank began flipping through the images one page at a time, and let his pent up emotions out at long last. Seeing the images of his past Christmases with Cole and his late wife Barbara made Hank feel even worse for how he had been treating Connor as of late. It wasn't his or anyone else's fault that Hank lost his family, and he sure as hell had no reason to take out his frustrations on an innocent person like that.

Staring at the photographs of his first Christmas with Barbara as a married couple, and then their first Christmas with Cole after they became parents, Hank saw the aged image as the answer to his problems. Seeing the way he was smiling with his wife and his infant son while they were all dressed up and having fun on Christmas all together was like a beacon of light shining through the darkness.

"Fuck me... This might be the right way to go!"

Keeping the photo album open Hank grabbed his phone with a number ready to dial and spent the remainder of the night making a few phone calls throughout the city in hope that his efforts weren't in vain.

* * *

The next morning Connor was awoken by a throbbing headache courtesy of the assault he sustained, and Sumo whining outside his closed door. Sitting upright in his bed Connor noted the current time and performed a self diagnostic on his system before rising from the bed. The broken plastimetal frame along his left side had mended itself but was still sore, and his broken nose had healed entirely but was still marred by a nasty dark blue bruise that matched his right eye. Walking over to his bedroom door Connor opened it up and saw Sumo standing there and pawing at the floor indicating that he needed to go outside fast.

Letting Sumo lead the way to the backdoor Connor let the Saint Bernard outside before he had an accident, and proceeded to look for any sign of Hank. The senior detective had left his second beer from the night before only partially drunk in the livingroom, the photo album was left opened in the middle of the coffee table and there was no further disturbances indicating a second person walking around the house.

Checking Hank's bedroom Connor confirmed that Hank was long gone and the lingering steam in the bathroom indicated that he had taken a shower before leaving the house barely an hour before. Where Hank had gone Connor couldn't be certain and didn't want to hazard a guess. He didn't want to bother Hank by accident.

"Come on, Sumo."

Pouring food into the dog's bowl Connor made sure Sumo was back inside the house and locked the backdoor once again.

"Perhaps Hank went out to 'Jimmy's Bar'."

The broken beer bottle in the recycling bin and the half empty beer in the livingroom gave Connor some degree of evidence to support his theory. Entering the livingroom Connor sat down on the couch and cybernetically turned on the television to check on the news and see if his assault was being covered or not. The news was detailing a very interesting story as expected, but it had nothing to do with a late night assault or the two muggers. This story was very different and very welcome.

' _We're broadcasting live from the heart of 'Riverside Park' where an unexpected but very welcome celebrity has made an unexpected appearance right here in Detroit_.' The blonde haired anchorwoman was smiling brightly as she told the story to the city. ' _Bright and early this morning, Kris Kringle, Santa Claus himself, arrived and is set up right here in the park ready to talk to children and ensure them all a very Merry Christmas_.'

Arching his brow a little Connor looked at the television and saw a man dressed up as Santa Claus sitting in a large wooden chair in the middle of the park and holding a little girl on his lap. One good look at the face of this supposed Santa Claus was all Connor needed to see to figure out their true identity.

"...Hank?"

The bright blue eyes, the natural beard and gray hair tucked up under the red Santa cap did very little to disguise Hank from anyone who knew him. The broad shoulders and pillow stuffed under his coat to create a fake belly also indicated someone who spent more time chasing criminals and less time sitting down and building toys in a workshop.

' _As you can see_ ,' the reporter continued as the cameraman showed the massive line of children all eagerly awaiting their chance to meet Santa snaking all through the park. ' _children from all over Detroit are excited to meet Santa at long last as Christmas Eve begins and Christmas Day draws near_. _From what we've been told Santa is going to be in the park all day to ensure all the kids can see him, then he'll make his way to the hospitals to ensure no child gets forgotten on this cold Christmas night_.'

"Hank is playing Santa Claus?"

Turning off the news report Connor glanced down at the photo album left open on the coffee table and saw the very photograph that had inspired Hank to go out and spread his own version of Christmas cheer. The photo showed Hank dressed up as Santa Claus with his late wife dressed up as Mrs. Claus beside him, and Cole as a three month old infant dressed up as an elf in Hank's arms. The sight of the family photo that showcased how much Hank used to love Christmas was enough to reignite Connor's passion to help the children in need have a memorable Christmas.

"He's doing what no one else would and making the children happy."

Rising to his feet Connor quickly returned to his bedroom to change into clean day clothes, then rushed over to the front door to layer up once more before heading out to the park himself. Knowing that Hank was going out of his way to help the children made Connor want to offer his own helping hand in whatever way he could.

* * *

True to his word Hank made sure every child who came out to the park to see Santa got their turn and let them talk for as long as they wanted. When patrol came by the park to question him and why he was there Hank smugly flashed them his badge, flaunted his rank and told the 'non-believer' to leave him alone. Sitting in the large wooden chair he had borrowed from a nearby furniture store for good publicity, and wearing a expertly tailored Santa Claus costume, Hank refused to break character and never once dared to leave the park.

As the line grew and people gathered in the park other people began volunteering their services to help out and spread positivity. A fleet of food trucks arrived at the park and sold food at a discount, vendors arrived to pass out gloves, mittens, hats and scarves to anyone who needed the extra layer, the local bakeries passed out cookies and slices of cake, bistros donated hot chocolate, warm cider and coffee to those who were standing in the cold line, and of course another toy drive bin was set up in the park and quickly filling with donated gifts to be delivered that night.

Arriving at the park via autonomous cab Connor scanned the area to locate Hank and promptly walked the long way around to walk up to Hank without cutting off any kids in the line. Discreetly standing beside the chair Connor put his hand on Hank's shoulder in an approving manner then placed a fresh hot coffee, one with excessive sugar sweetened just as Hank liked it, down beside him.

"Thank you for being here." Connor stated as he watched the next kid in line happily climb onto Hank's lap. "You're always welcome in Detroit, 'Santa'."

"Thanks, Connor." Without looking away from the little boy on his knee Hank motioned to the deviant beside him as he smiled at the already smiling child. "Even good little deviants get gifts from Santa. This guy is one of the best."

Feeling a subtle blue blush fill his face Connor nodded and went over to the large toy bin overflowing with the donated toys to check on progress. Tina and Gavin were keeping watch on the bin and were glad to see Connor show up to lend a helping hand.

"Good timing, 'Tinman'." Gavin sighed as he accepted yet another toy and placed it in the bin. "There's a- What the hell happened to your face?"

"Nothing important." Dismissing his own condition Connor stayed focused on the children and off his injuries. "What were you saying earlier?"

"Uh, there's one of those big-ass burlap bags in the trunk of the car. Start loading up the toys in a really stealthy manner to get 'em outta' here."

Tina was grinning as she chewed on a peppermint candy cane and made sure to keep the toys from falling out of the bin and onto the ground. "And since it's you-know-who playing the role of the 'big man' this year, that means all of these donated toys falls under our responsibility. Ben's renting an actual moving van to help carry all these toys back to the precinct to be wrapped up and assigned to kids who have a wish list."

That task was monumental to say the least, and Connor knew it. "Wrapping all of these gifts will take a long time."

Gavin scoffed and placed another gift in the bin. "Then maybe you should use your special deviant hand-eye coordination to speed up the process."

"You're right. I can do that."

"Man, it really is a Christmas miracle!" Gavin sneered as Connor went to retrieve the burlap bag from the nearby patrol car to begin securing the toys. "The 'Tinman' finally admitted that I'm right!"

* * *

Feeling energized and like he was finally able to help children in need Connor busied himself with wrapping up as many gifts as he could and took the time to write down each child's name on their special gifts with a stylized handwriting, then signed it from 'Santa Claus'. The mess of various colored wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, tags and tape was a sight to behold as the interview rooms were slowly filled with wrapped gifts. Every available officer and other staff members throughout the precinct aided in getting the gifts all wrapped up and looking amazing.

After depositing an armload of the wrapped gifts into the next room to be accounted for Connor noticed Captain Fowler watching his every move. Approaching his Captain with his head held high Connor waited for his commanding officer to speak up first.

"How do you feel, Connor?"

"I'm well." Tracing his fingertips over his nose and eye Connor confirmed he was still healing. "Thank you."

"Chris found the two idiots who attacked you hiding out in a drug den, and that turned into a major drug bust that got almost ten pounds of 'red ice' off the streets."

"That is... fortunate."

"Yeah, that's one way to say it." Putting his hands to his hips Captain Fowler motioned to the large television mounted on the wall above the breakroom to indicate the continuing news story about Santa in the park. "How in the hell did Hank go from hating Christmas with every fiber of his being to playing 'Jolly 'Ol St. Nick' himself?"

"It's difficult to explain, but I think he was able to see past his own pain and see the other people in need of help."

"Well, whatever happened I'm glad it did."

"As am I."

"Go ahead and get a headstart on dropping off the gifts to the shelters since so many kids are out at the park. They won't see their gifts being dropped off and it'll help keep the illusion of Santa alive."

"Yes, sir." That particular assignment sounded rather delightful. "I'm happy to do so."

* * *

By the time the sun was beginning to set the last kids in the park had finally gotten their chance to speak with 'Santa', and Hank was ready to stand up and stretch out his stiff back and legs muscles. As he walked around the chair and walked off his cramps Hank saw Connor approaching him with a paper bag of warm food for the senior detective and voluntary Santa Claus to enjoy, and Hank gave him a very gracious smile in return.

"I told you that you're a good deviant." Hank smirked as he accepted the bag and happily pulled out his burger to eat. "How'd the toy drive do?"

"New record."

"Really?"

"Yes. There was an impressive weight of sixty-three thousand two-hundred and fourteen pounds of toys donated in a single twenty-four hour period."

"Holy... Damn!" Genuinely impressed with the amount of toys that had been donated Hank took a bite of his burger and walked with Connor over to the Oldsmobile parked down the street. The furniture company that donated the chair picked up the chair and returned it to their store now that their role in the day's events was over. "Now THAT'S incredible."

"You singlehandedly bringing Santa to Detroit when no one else could is incredible."

"But I didn't do it singlehandedly. You helped, too."

Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow with surprise as he contemplated the claim. "...I did?"

"Sure." Downing his meal in his own record time Hank wiped the grease of his hands and tossed the bag in the nearby trashcan. "If you hadn't kicked the 'Scrooge' out of my grouchy ass with your absolutely heartbreaking reminder that holidays are meant to shared with people you care about and people in need, then I would've drunk myself into a massive hangover last night."

"Is that why you do this? Because I inititally thought you did this because of the photograph in the album."

"Seeing you so heartbroken by the lack of support motivated me to get off my sorry ass and do something, the photo inspired this particular idea."

"Either way, thank you. You've made thousands of children very happy."

"No, son. I may have been Santa," Hank admitted as he and Connor walked over to the Oldsmobile to head out to the precinct. "but you were the one who brought those kids happiness."

Smirking at the compliment Connor sat down behind the steering wheel while Hank sat down in the front seat beside him. "I just wanted to do my part. I'm glad I was able to succeed."

"And now all we have to do is deliver the rest of the toys."

"Since you were keeping the children distracted in the park all day we were able to get all the toys delivered to the shelters without the children seeing them, and all the extra gifts were donated just before I came here to find you. All we need to do is stop by the hospitals and every child will be taken care of."

"Cool. Let's go to the hospital, hand deliver those gifts and head home."

"I'll help you carry the gifts," Connor stated as he pulled the car onto the street to head to the precinct to pick up the presents. "you're the one dressed up as Santa."

"Don't worry about that." Grinning mischievously Hank gave the deviant a coy glance. "Check the trunk once we're at the precinct and you'll be just fine."

* * *

Still feeling rejuvenated, especially after he finally had a desperately needed bathroom break at the precinct, Hank packed up the Oldsmobile with the remaining gifts for the children in the hospitals, and made sure Connor was ready to fill his own role. Having rented a green coat with white fur as trim at the hems and sleeves and a matching green cap, Hank was able to dress the deviant up as his 'elf' while they walked around the hospital to visit sick kids. Joking that Connor was the tallest elf ever born at the North Pole, a fact no child would try to dispute, Hank and Connor stopped by every hospital in Detroit to ensure no child was forgotten.

The way the sick and injured kids' eyes lit up and happily accepted their gifts and hugs from Santa made Connor's previous sense of doubt and failure melt away entirely. He too received hugs and gratitude and finally began to feel like he was doing things right for good people who just needed a helping hand.

With the final gifts delivered at long last Hank and Connor returned to the car and drove back home. Hank decided to take a more scenic route back to the house so Connor could admire more lights, as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day always encouraged people to go all out with their decorations. He also told the deviant about how he used to decorate the house from top to bottom just to make his family smile.

Bright strings of multicolored lights against white lights, thick green garland, shiny tinsel, massive plastic ornaments, giant candy canes, ribbons, wreaths and nativity scenes all filled the neighborhood with a sense of peace. As the snow began to fall over the city and cover the lights under a layer of whiteness everything took on an almost enchanting aura.

"This turned out to be a pretty damn good Christmas, huh, son?" Still wearing the Santa coat but not the hat Hank felt more at ease after everything he and Connor had been through since the Revolution. "I stopped being a prick, you got to experience firsthand how Christmas generosity is meant to be shared, and we both found something to make this cold weather more bearable for a while."

"Yes, this was very pleasant." Watching the dark house come into view Connor gave the sight a thoughtful stare. "Perhaps next year we can put up lights so the house isn't the old dark one on the street."

Just as the car pulled into the driveway the windows, the front door and the garage door all glowed to life as multicolored lights turned on automatically. White lights lined the gutter and the walkway leading up to the front door itself. There was a large green wreathe mounted on the door that had a red ribbon on its bottom, and more multicolored lights lined the wreathe creating a circle of color.

"...Hank?" Connor's blue L.E.D. cycle to yellow for a moment as he looked at the house curiously. "Did you do that?"

"No, I was going to ask you the same thing." Turning off the engine Hank just gave Connor a casual tilt of his head. "Must've been the guys from the precinct or something. It wouldn't be the first time they helped with decorating or going that extra mile during the holidays."

"That explains it." Exiting the car Connor, who was still wearing his green coat, walked with Hank toward the front door side by side. "We should thank whoever did this."

"Yeah, we'll figure it out when we go back to work." Unlocking the front door Hank and Connor were greeted with even more lights as a Christmas tree sat in the far corner of the livingroom with two large presents tucked underneath. The tree was decorated in white lights with dozens of various colored ornaments on all of the branches, and a bright white star at the top. "Okay, uh, maybe we'll buy them a gift, too."

"...Yes. That would be appropriate." Entering the house beside Hank the curious deviant closed the door behind them and locked it tight. "Who has a key to the house?"

"Uh..." Hank's blue eyes narrowed as he gave Connor a confused stare. "Me and you."

"Just us?"

"I locked the door when I left."

"As did I, and I made sure the backdoor was locked after I let Sumo out."

"What about the windows?"

"Also locked."

Hank approached the tree and saw Sumo laying in front of it with a brand new and comically large rawhide bone resting atop his paws as he happily chewed on it where he laid. "Sumo isn't freaked and someone knew he'd be here. They got him a treat to distract him."

"It must be someone who knows us well enough to come prepared for Sumo. He's not aggressive, but he is large."

"Check out the gifts." Hank motioned to the two wrapped up boxes under the tree. One was addressed to Hank and the other to Connor. "Can you identify the handwriting?"

"I can try." Picking up the gift with his name on it, a large box wrapped up in green paper, Connor read the tag and tried to identify the deliverer's handwriting. The writing was eerily similar to the disguised handwriting that Connor had used when he signed the other gifts as 'from Santa', and couldn't determine who wrote on the tags. "...Unknown."

"Weird."

"What should we do?"

"Well," pulling out his phone Hank looked at the time and gave Connor a simple shrug of his shoulders. "it's almost midnight. Let's see what we got."

"All right."

Passing Hank his own gift, one wrapped up in red paper, the two detectives sat down on the couch next to one another and carefully opened up their gifts to see what was tucked away inside. The perfectly wrapped paper was peeled away carefully and revealed two large white boxes beneath. Opening up the lids of the boxes the two detectives were greeted with their own unique gifts.

"Son of..." Hank's blue eyes lit up as he pulled out twelve different board games that he hadn't seen in years. The games were all the ones he used to play with his parents on Christmas Day and lost track of as he grew up. "How did... Who would even _think_ to get me this?"

Connor was at a loss for words as he opened his own gift and discovered a plush, thick and super soft dark blue blanket that was large enough to cover a king sized bed. "...Or this."

"I... I didn't buy you that kid, I swear."

"And I didn't purchase you those games." Wrapping the blanket around his shoulders Connor looked over to Hank and gave him an odd glance. "We were also alone in the car when we discussed possible gifts."

"So, who knew what we sort of... asked for?"

Shaking his head a little Connor looked toward the tree and then back to Hank as he nodded at the red coat Hank was still wearing. "...Santa?"

"But that's... I mean..." It was too incredible to really think about, let alone believe. "That's not possible!"

"We're living in a new world with new people and new realities." Connor reminded his friend as they tried to solve the mystery. "Maybe it's not as impossible as we once believed."

Chuckling a little Hank put the board games down on the coffee table and tugged at the red coat over his chest. "You know something, kid? You're right."

"Regardless of how this happened, I'm glad it did." Feeling at ease and surprisingly comfortable Connor stretched out his blanket and let Hank enjoy the warmth for a while as they tried to comprehend what they just experienced. "Merry Christmas, Hank."

"Yeah, Merry Christmas, son." Settling down beside Connor on the couch Hank stopped worrying about the mystery and just decided to enjoy and appreciate the peaceful moment. "It's nice to have a family to celebrate the holidays with again."

_**-End of Story-** _

**Author's Note:**

> VERY *SAD NOTES, BE WARNED:
> 
> I was going to post this on the 24th, then I thought, "Nah, people are going to be celebrating the holidays so I should post it earlier." Then I was going to post it on the 20th, but then something happened at work that just broke my heart.
> 
> *I work in a video game store and a mother came in with her three kids, her oldest and only son was holding his PS4 looking pretty bummed. The mother told me the younger sister spilled a drink on the console effectively killing it, and wondered if we could fix it. We could not. We didn't even have a replacement PS4 for him to buy. All I could do was give her the customer service number to Sony and hope they could help.
> 
> They walked away and the mom apologized to her son, but her son, who was like 8-9 was like: "It's okay, mom. It's not your fault." And my heart shattered! This kid lost his game console just a few weeks before Christmas and took it like a champ! He wasn't mad, he wasn't crying, he wasn't blaming his little sister, he just accepted it and moved on.
> 
> Part of me wants to believe it's because this kid is just mature and understands some things just happen and there's nothing we can do about it. And another part of me is so afraid that this poor kid had been disappointed all year long because 2020 had been abysmal, and he's just given up hope. I am honestly hoping that this poor kid is one of the lucky few to get a PS5 because the way he acted... Man, I was on the verge of tears at work.
> 
> *To make things all the more tense, the night before a coworker had an even SADDER encounter. A young woman came in looking for a specific item for her boyfriend and when we didn't have it she started crying, like full on bawling. She composed herself, apologized and said she was looking for the specific item to give to her boyfriend because just a few days prior he died... She just wanted to give him something from the fandom he loved best to be buried with and we couldn't help her either.
> 
> This year has been so bleak and miserable for so many people, so I figured this little story of hope and a hinted miracle could help brighten everyone's day if this find this enjoyable. 
> 
> Please take care of yourselves, please be kind to one another and please don't give up on hope! Nothing is truly lost as long as we keep looking!


End file.
